Railway signaling system and apparatus therefor.



No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6', I900.

H. BEZER.

I RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

m5 NDWRIS PETERS can worn-L mo. wAsHmc-Tcm u c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900. H. BEZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 sheets -shgaet 2.

' LHJAHW ms NORRIS Farms 00., I'HOYG-LITHO., WASHVNDTGN, n. c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900. H. BEZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 shunts-Sheet 3.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900.

H. BE-ZER.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed July 22, 1893. Renewed Oct. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 5Sheets8heet 4.

"' I I M m: NORRIS PETERS co, PHOTOILITHOH WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 644,790. Patented Mar. 6, I900..'

H. BEZE'R.

BA'ILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

(Application filed. July 22, 1898. Renewed 00C. 11, 1898.) (No Model.) 5Shank-Sheet 5.

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Tu: "cams PETERS ca. PHOTO-LlTHO-,WASHINK1TON. a. c,

NrrnD STATES PATENT OFFIQE,

HENRY BEZER, OF NElV ROCHELLE, NElV YORK.

RAILWAY SIGNALING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,790, dated March 6,1900. Application filed July 22,1893. Renewed October 11, 1898- SerialNo. 693,266. (No model.)

Railway Signaling Systems and Apparatus 'Therefoigof which thefollowing, taken i 11 connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification. My invention relates to railway signaling systems andapparatus therefor and includes an improved signaling system adapted foruse at road-crossings and also includes an improved relay. I

The object of my improved signaling system is to automatically give awarning-signal to passengers upon the road at the approach of a trainand at the same time to notify the engineer of the train that the signalfor the road has been given. I accomplish this result, as herein setforth, by providing a signal for the road, preferably an audible signal,

such as a bell, which is included in an'electric circuit operated by atrain as it approaches the road a nd rendered inoperative by the trainas it passes beyond the road. Operatively connected with the road-signalI provide a signal for the train which indicates to the engineer of theapproaching train whether or not the road-signal has been given, so thatin case the roadsignal has failedfor any reason the engineer may slowdown histrain at the crossing or otherwise protect the crossing.

The invention consists of the means and their arrangement hereinafterset forth.

In the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by likecharacters, Figure 1 is a plan view of. the relay, with itsoperating-circuit in diagram. 'Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the relay,taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 1 of amodified form of relay, with circuits therefor. Fig. tis a' longitudinalsection of the relay shown in Fig. 3, on the line 3 3 thereof. Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic View of the circuits of the crossing signaling system asadapted for a single-track road. Fig. 6 is a diagram of the same systemadapted for a double-track road. Fig. 7 is a diagram of asomewhatsimilar arrangement of circuits for a singletrack road, butincluding a slight modifica tion.

Referring now to Fig. 1, A and B are opposing coils of a relay having anon-biased armature 0, provided with a circuitcontroller O, vibratingbetween the contacts a and b.

These coils are in series in a normally-closed circuit 1, including thebattery 2. A branch circuit-wire 4, which may include the battery 5 anda normally-open circuit-controller having the contacts 6 and 7, isarranged, when closed, to shunt the coils A of the relay, and

a branch circuit 8, which may include the battery 9 and thenormally-open circuit-conture. As thus arranged this spring conspireswith the coils severallyjin holding firmly the circuit-controller Ouponwhichever of the contacts a or b thecoils place it. If thecircuit-controller is upon contact a, the line of the springs pullisabove the pivotal point of the armature, and the spring acts to holdthe circuitcontrollcr up against point a; but if it has been put uponpoint I) the line of the springs pull is thrown above the pivotal pointof the armature, and the spring acts to firmly hold thecircuit-controller down on point I). The effect of each pair of coilsupon the circuit-closer is thus intensified by the spring. In place ofthe spring a weight may of course be employed,arranged, like the spring,to bias the circuit-controller in opposition to its initial movement.

The operation of the coils and their circuits as thus described is asfollows: The circuit 1 being normally closed, both coils A and B are Itmay, for example, be upon contact IOO When the shunt is broken at 10,the coils A and B are equally energized; but the armature being nearercoils A than coils B and being assisted by spring D thecircuit-controller is held upon a. SpringD maybe omitted, however, andthe same effect will be produced by the action of the magnets alone.When it is desired to return 0 to 7), the points 6 and 7 are closed andcoilsA are now shunted and the coils B alone energized, overcoming thespring D and drawing the circuit-controller 0" back upon point I), wherethe springD conspires with coils B to hold it. One advantage ofthisarrangement of the spring is that a comparatively-weak battery maybe employed in the normally-closed circuit of the coils, a few morecells of battery being only temporarily employed to assist in shiftingthe circuit-controller G.

In the form of relay shown in Fig. 3 the spring D is substituted for thespring D of Fig. 1. This spring is attached to the stud o and to a studcon the base at a point between the stud and the pivotal points of thearmature G and so arranged that it exerts a constant pull upon thecircuit-controller C to maintain it between the contact-points a and Z).In place of-the springaweightmayot' course be employed, arranged, likethe spring, to bias the circuit-controller inopposition to I its initialmovement. This relay is provided I with the same circuits as the relayshown in magnet, including the batteries 2 and 9 and the normally-opencircuit-closer 11. The operation of this relay is as follows: -When thecontacts 6 and 7 are closed, the coils B are energized, the coils Abeing shunted, and the circuit-controller O is put upon contact I) inthe same way as explained in reference to Fig.1. If nowcircuit-controller 12 is closed, the batteries 2 and 5, which areenergizing coils B, will be short-circuited through wire 11, and thecircuit-controller C will be returned'by spring D to its place betweenc011- tacts a and b. In the same way to energize coils A and putcircuit-controller 0 upon point a the circuit-controller 10 may beclosed, and to deenergize these coils A and return 0 to normal positionthe shunt 11 13 may be closed at circuit-controller14. Moreover, thecircuit-controllers 12 and 14 operate in the manner just described,whether or not the corresponding circuit-controllers 6, 7, and 10 areclosed or open. Thus we have secondary shunt-circuits, which may beoperated to shunt the primary shunts of the main normally-closedcircuit. Again, on account'of the proximity of the armature to one ofthe coils which may have attracted it the armature will remain in itsposition of attraction even after both coils are included in the circuitof the battery2 and despite the action of the spring D. The magnet mustbe actually denerged before the armature will be re leased.

Referring now to Fig. 5, A and B are the coils of the relay havingarmature C and circuit-controller 0 playing between the contacts a andI). These coils are in the normallyclosed circuit 1, which includes thebattery 2. Instead of making the earth a part of this circuit 1 Isubstitute in place thereof a section of the common wire 15, thatextends along the track E from ground through a track instrument 16 onone side of a cross-road F to ground-through a track instrument 17 onthe other side of this road. The circuit-wire 4 extends from one end ofthe coils A through the contacts 6 and 7 to ground through battery 5, asin Fig. 1. The contact 6, however, is here an armature of a magnet 6,one end of whose coils is connected to wire 4, between the armature andbattery 5, the'other end being connected by wire at to line-wire 15. Thearmature 6 plays between contacts 7 and 7, the contact 7 being connectedto the pivotal point of circuit-controller 0, whose contacts av and Z)are connected to ground, the former directly through ground-wire and thelatter through wire 17 and spring 18, circuitoperating armature 19, andmagnet 20 of the bell G. The magnet 20 is in the ground-wire 21, tappedonto the circuit 22, which includes magnet 23, battery 24, open contact25, and armature 19. The free end of the armature carries thebell-hammer. The magnet 23 controls the armature 26, providedat one endwith a dash-pot and adapted to make and break contact with aspring 27,connected to wire 17. The pivotal end of the armature 26 isconnected toground through a wire 28, which includes the'normal danger-signals H H,one on each side of the road beside the track. The circuit 8, which mayinclude the battery 9 and track instrument 10,is the shunt around thecoils B,correspondin'g to the circuit 8' in Fig. 1. Connected to thewire 8',- between its battery and track instrument, is a circuit-wire29, including a track instrument 30 and connected to the wire 15 at 31,and including the track instrument 33 and connected to wire 15 at 34:.The armature O is non-biased, but rests normally on contact a. I havenot shown any spring whatever in Fig. 5, because in this arrangement theIIO spring could be omitted, or, if desired, the

then closes track instrument 16 and energizes magnet 6, the circuitbeing from track instrument 16 through wires 15 and 4E, magnet 6, wire4, battery 5 through ground back to track instrument 16. Circuit-closer6 is then moved from its normal contact with 7 and put upon. contact 7.The magnet Ais thereby shunted and a circuit traverses the magnet B asfollows: from ground through battery 5, contacts 6 7, wire 4, battery 2,wire 1, magnet B, wire 15, track instrument 16 to ground.Circuit-controller O is then put upon contact I), and the train havingnow passed beyond track instrument 16, allowing armature 6 to return tocontact 7, a circuit through the magnet 20 of bell G is then closed asfollows: from ground through battery 5, contacts 6 7, circuit-controller0, wire 17, spring 18, armature 19, wire 22, magnet 20 to ground. Thebell then rings, giving notice to passengers on the road that a train isapproaching the crossing, and the bell continues to' ring until thecircuits are altered, as hereinafter explained. At the first tap of thebell G the armature is closed upon contact and the local circuit 22 isclosed, thereby energizing magnet 23 and drawing its armature to thecontact-spring 27. As the ar mature 19 of the bell vibrates it makes andbreaks the circuit 22; but the dash-pot prevents the armature 26 fromfalling away from its contact 27. A circuit is therefore made throughthe signals 11 and H, which is as follows: from ground through battery5, contacts 6 7, circuit-controller C, wire 17, contacts 27 26, wire28,signals H and H" to ground. The signals are then thrown to safety,notifying the engineer of the train that the road-signal has been given,and the mediately. the track instrument 30 is closed.

and this shunts the magnetB, holding circuitcontroller Cupon contact a,the circuit being from track instrument 30 through wires 29, 8, 1, and15, including batteries 9 and 2. This prevents the bell ringing and thesignals going to safety. The circuits are now left in normal position.Exactly the same operation would take place, only reversed, if the trainwere traveling in the opposite direction.

From the above description it will be seen that I have a double-coilrelay in a closed circuit, a normally-open shunt around one pair ofcoils, and a normally-open shunt around the other pair of coils, andthat the closing of one shunt operates the bell and signal circuits andthat the closing of the other shunt returns the circuits to normalposition.

The circuits shown in Fig; 6 are essentially the same as those shown inFig. 5, except that they are arranged for a double track. In this casethe circuit-wire 29 and track instruments 30 and 33 are unnecessary, andhave arrangement of circuits adapted for a single track. In thisarrangement the line-wire 15 passes to ground through its trackinstruments 16 and 17 and normally-closed circuit breakers 35 and 44,one on each side of the road and provided, respectively, with dashpots36 and 43. The circuit-breakers 35 and 44 are controlled by magnets 39and 42 in local circuits, including, respectively, normallyopen trackinstruments 37 and 40, located a short distance nearer the road F thanthe track instruments 16 and 17, respectively. A trainoperating trackinstrument 16 energizes the magnet 6, which closes a circuit throughbatteries 5 and 2 and coils B, drawing the circuit-controller 0 uponcontact I), as heretofore explained in reference to Fig.5. As soon asthe train strikes track instrument 37 magnet 39 breaks the circuit ofline-15 at the I circuit-breaker 35, thereby denergizing mag net 6" andclosing the circuit through the bell and signals, as heretoforeexplained. the train strikes t he track instrument 10, the circuits,bell, and signals are restored to normal. When the train operates trackinstrument 40, the ground-tap of line 15 at circuitbreaker 44 isremoved, and when the train closes track instrument17 it is unable tooperate the circuit of line 15, the dash-pot 43 preventingcircuit-breaker 44 froinclosing the ground-tap till after the train haspassed by. A traingoing in the opposite. direction operates the circuitsin the reverse order, but with the same result.-

In the several modifications shown and described in Figs. 5 to 7 thecircuit for the trainsignal H is operatively connected with the circuitof the bell or audible signal for road passengers, so that when a trainapproaches When ICO

the cross-road it operates the audible signal, I notifying roadpassengers of the trains approach and clears its signal notifying theengineer that the road-signal has been given. When the train passes theroad, the signals and circuits return to normal. The trainsignal may belocated at any convenient distance in the rear of the road, so that theengineer in case the signal does not clear for him may slow down andcome to a full stop before reaching the road or otherwise protect thecrossing. V

In each of the several modifications in which I have herein set forth mysystem I have shown electric circuits as the sole means for operatingthe signals. It is clear, however,

that in its broad interpretation my invention is not limited to electriccircuits for this purpose nor to just those circuits herein shown. Anymeans, whether electric, pneumatic, mechanical, or otherwise, couldeasily be substituted for the signal-operating means, and I do nottherefore wish to be limited to the precise embodiment of my inventionherein set forth.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coilsarranged in series in a normally-closed circuit, and an armature betweensaid coils, and means for actuating saidarmature' by shunting thecircuit of one of said coils, substantially as set forth.

2. A relay comprising opposing magnetcoils and an armature between saidcoils, both of said coils being arranged in series in a normally-closedcircuit andonc of said coils being included in a normally-openshunt-circuit, substantially as set fortl 3. In a relay, the combinationof a pair of opposing magnet-coils, included in a normally-closedcircuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuit for each member of said pairof coils, substantially as set forth.

4. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coilsincluded in a normallyclosed circuit, and a normally-open shunt-circuitincluding a source of electric energy for each member of said pair ofcoils, substantially as set forth. I

5. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coilsincluded in a'permanently-closed circuit, and a normally-openshunt-circuit for each member of said pair of coils, substantially asset forth. I

6. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet-coilsincluded in a permanently-closed circuit, and a normally-openshunt-circuit including a source of electric energy for each member ofsaid pair of coils, substantiallyas set fort-l1. I

7. In a relay, the combination of a pair of opposing magnet coils,included in a normally-closed circuit, an armature for said coilsoperating a circuit-controller biased to oppose the initial movementthereof, and a normally-open shunt-circuit for each member of said pairof coils, substantially as set forth. 8. In a relay, the combination ofa pair of opposing magnet-coils included in a permaopposing magnet-coilsincluded in a normallyclosed circuit, an armature for said coilsoperating a circuit-controller, a spring attached tosaidcircuit-controller opposing the initial movement thereof, anormally-open primary shunt-circuit for each member of said pair ofcoils, and a normally-open secondary shuntcircuit for each primaryshunt-circuit, substantially as set forth.

11. In an electric signaling system for roadcrossings, the combinationof a signal for the road and a circuit therefor, a signal for the trackand a circuit therefor, said circuits operatively connected together,whereby theinitial operation of the track-signal depends upon theoperation of the road-signal, a circuit-controller for said circuits,opposing e1ectromagnetic coils controlling said circuit-controller, andcircuits for said coils controlled by a passing train, substantially asset forth.

12. In a railway signaling system, the combination of a crossing-signaland a track-si'g-.

nal, said signals being provided with connected means whereby a failureof the train to properly operate the crossing-signal causes thetrack-signal to show danger, substantially as setforth.

HENRY BEZER.

